Heart of Hawkins is where our dogs come from. Everything our programs can promise a school, a family, or a veteran traces back to a decision made here, long before any training begins: which dogs are bred for this work at all.
We are direct about why this matters, because we have watched the alternative too many times. A family raises a dog for years, loving it well, hoping to test it for therapy work — and the dog is not suited to it. Not for any failure of training. The temperament was never there, and a natural temperament cannot be taught. Years and a great deal of money go into learning that.
So we start at the beginning. Puppies are raised with dream jobs in mind, and then we watch who they actually become. Some will be service dogs. Some will be therapy dogs placed in a school or a care facility. Some will be wonderful family dogs who were never going to enjoy the working life — and telling the truth about which is which, early, is the whole point of doing it this way.
Planned, not produced
We do not have a litter to announce right now. When one is planned, it will be listed here with the month it is expected and what we are hoping for from the pairing. If you would rather not watch this page, tell us you are interested and we will let you know first.
When a puppy is looking for its people
None at the moment. Not every puppy is destined for a working career, and when one of ours is better suited to family life we would rather say so plainly and find the right home for the dog in front of us. Those puppies will appear here when there are any.
A dog suited to the work is where every placement begins.
Our programs — service dogs, therapy dogs, and the puppy raisers who start them — all depend on getting this part right.
See our programs